NJIT Celebrates Faculty, Staff in 2025 Nexus of Excellence Awards

Written by: Nayib Morán
Published: Thursday, October 9, 2025
(L to R): Foundation Board Chair Steve Saperstein, Senior Vice Provost for Research Atam Dhawan, Eliza Michalopoulou, President Teik Lim and Provost John Pelesko.

New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) hosted the second annual Nexus of Excellence Awards Oct. 8 in the Campus Center Atrium, celebrating the university’s faculty and staff whose achievements exemplify NJIT’s mission and values.

Building on last year’s inaugural ceremony, the 2025 event recognized honorees across categories that reflect NJIT’s Innovation Nexus 2030 Strategic Plan — spanning excellence in teaching, advising, mentoring, research, diversity and community engagement.

“This event is a celebration of the outstanding work happening across the NJIT community in teaching, mentoring, community engagement, service, diversity and research. As I read through this year's nominations, I was deeply impressed by the dedication and creativity that all of the nominees exemplify,” said Provost John Pelesko. “Your contributions strengthen our collective mission to transform a diverse community of learners into leaders, innovators and global citizens through excellence in education, research, collaboration and community engagement.”

This year’s Foundation Excellence in Research & Innovation Medal, a recognition of a sustained record of contributions that have enhanced the reputation of NJIT, was awarded to Eliza Michalopoulou, distinguished professor in the Department of Mathematical Sciences.

Michalopoulou is internationally recognized for her pioneering contributions to ocean acoustics, mathematical modeling, and computational methods that have advanced understanding of the ocean environment. Her work has transformed how scientists study sound propagation in complex marine environments, with applications ranging from climate science to naval technology.

A member of NJIT’s faculty since 1994, Michalopoulou has been continuously funded by the Office of Naval Research and has mentored numerous graduate students who now hold positions in academia, research labs, and industry. She is a Fellow of the Acoustical Society of America and she has served in leadership roles on multiple international research panels.

“For nearly three decades, Dr. Michalopoulou has advanced the frontiers of ocean acoustics through pioneering applications of machine learning to the complex challenge of seafloor characterization and littoral-zone monitoring” said Atam Dhawan, senior vice provost for research. “Her research has been continuously funded since 1997, with more than $9 million in support from the Office of Naval Research, the National Science Foundation and other agencies. A highly published and internationally recognized scholar, Dr. Michalopoulou has authored dozens of influential journal and conference papers, delivered plenary lectures worldwide, and significantly elevated NJIT’s reputation in applied mathematics and engineering.”

Full List of Excellence Awards Winners:

Instruction by Teaching Assistants 

  • Yasser Jezzini (Civil and Environmental Engineering)
  • Gianpiero Florentino (Biological Sciences)

Lower Division Undergraduate Instruction

  • Xiaobo Li (Biomedical Engineering)
  • Richard Cimino (Chemical and Materials Engineering)
  • Peter Ward (Mathematical Sciences)

Upper Division Undergraduate Instruction

  • Rees Rankin (Chemical and Materials Engineering)
  • David Shirokoff (Mathematical Sciences)
  • Alison Lefkovitz (History)

Graduate Instruction

  • Oladoyin Kolawole (Civil and Environmental Engineering)
  • Cesar Bandera (Management)

Innovation in Education

  • Richard Thompson (School of Art + Design)

Undergraduate Advising and Mentoring

  • Gordana Obuskovic (Chemical and Materials Engineering)
  • Caitlin Kain (Honors College)

Graduate Advising and Mentoring

  • Shawn Chester (Mechanical and Industrial Engineering)
  • Edward Dreizin (Chemical and Materials Engineering)

Faculty Mentoring

  • Jonathan Grasman (Biomedical Engineering)
  • Ashish Borgaonkar (Applied Engineering and Technology)

Impact in Community Engagement

  • Michel Boufadel (Civil and Environmental Engineering)
  • Michael Wall (Advancement)

Board of Directors Foundation Excellence in Service

  • Bryan J. Pfister (Biomedical Engineering)

Constance A. Murray Diversity Award

  • Lucie Tchouassi (Newark College of Engineering Dean’s Office)
  • Matt Adams (Civil and Environmental Engineering)

Master Teacher

  • Thomas Ogorzalek (Architecture)
  • Jaskirat Sodhi (Applied Engineering and Technology)
  • Phillip Barden (Biological Sciences)
  • Donivyn Schmidt (Mathematical Sciences)

Foundation Excellence in Research and Innovation Medal

  • Eliza Michalopoulou (Mathematical Sciences)